Architectural enthusiasts may well recognise the name La Villette, a storied district in northeast Paris famed for its park by Bernard Tschumi. Yet few know of a strange marvel nearby—Les Orgues de Flandre, or the Organs of Flanders.

This curious moniker, oddly fitting, draws on both music and form. The towers, rising like organ pipes, echo the nearby concert halls, each block bearing musical titles—"Prelude, Fugue, Cantante and Sonata". Architecturally, its stepped terraces resemble a keyboard, and each structure takes on the rhythm of its own melody.

The name “Flandre” harks back to the area’s 19th-century history, when Flemish immigrants settled here amidst Paris’s industrial boom. Their legacy remains only in the arched gateway, inscribed "Porte des Flamands"—“Gate of the Flemings.”

Under its silent arch, elderly men play chess, unfazed by the neon lights of a nearby casino. Kids chase footballs through the garden, scattered golden stars beneath their feet. This organ, though silent, hums with life.